Perfume candles



Dec. 5, 1967 J. FRANGOS 3,355,913

` PERFUME CANDLES Filed July l2, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNE Dec. 5, 1967 J. FRANGOS PERFUME CANDLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July l2, 1.966

United States Patent O 3,355,913 PERFUME CANDLES `lohn Frangos, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor to Revlon Inc., New York, NX., a corporation of Delaware Filed `l'uly 12, 1966, Ser. No. 564,691 8 Claims. (Cl. 67-87) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A perfume candle including a burner having an upright gas conducting stem and a closed container for perfume in heat exchanging relation with said stem, said conrainer having valve means permitting escape of perfume vapors when said candle is in use and confining said vapors in said container when in closed position.

The present invention relates to perfume candles.

In known types of appliances, or candles for dispensing perfume vapor in the atmosphere of a room, or the like, the perfume is conveniently supplied in a form Vaporizable by heat and is discharged in the form of vapor entrained in air currents induced by the heat employed in vaporization. In some instances vaporization or volatilization of the perfume supply is effected by electric heating elements thus to some extent limiting the field of use of the apparatus. In other cases, the heat is supplied by wick conveyed liquid fuel capable of producing a sooty or inefficient flame and having other undesirable characteristics.

An object of my invention is to provide a perfume candle or vaporizer which resembles in appearance and use a candle in the sense that it may be so designed and that, in operation, it produces a ame with desirable illuminating characteristics.

A further object has been to provide a perfume candle device which can advantageously employ butane, or other suitable gas commonly available in pressurized containers to produce the desired candle type light under conditions of relative safety and also generate the necessary heat for effectively vaporizing the perfume supply.

Inasmuch as perfumes and perfume bearing materials are supplied in various forms, as liquids or as gelled concentrates, for example, a further object has been to provide vaporizing apparatus capable of utilizing various kinds of vaporizable perfume materials and of being produced in compact assemblies of pleasing design.

In general, my invention is embodied in a perfume vapor dispersing candle assembly including a portable container having an inner tubular wall and an outer Wall radially spaced therefrom and arranged and adapted to confine a supply of volatilizable perfume material in contact with said inner tubular wall, a gas burner comprising an upright stem open at its top and bottom ends and arranged with lateral ports adjacent to its top end and with lower end portions in heat exchanging relation to said inner tubular wall of the container, said bottom end of the stem being arranged and adapted for releasable operative connection with a gas supply, and a housing having a lower portion enclosing upper end portions of said perfume supply container and an upper sleeve portion spaced from and enclosing intermediate parts of said stem below said ports and in vapor passing communication with said lower portion of the housing, means for releasably retaining said sleeve and said stem in operative coaxial spaced relation and with said ports of the stern exposed above the top end of the sleeve, said housing being arranged and adapted to provide in effect a chamber for receiving perfume vapor as developed in operation from the perfume supply in the container and to discharge the same along with entrained air through said space beice tween the stem and the sleeve, and said housing having a lower alr inlet opening into said chamber and an upper air outlet opening in the sleeve positioned at an effective level below said ports in the gas burner stem.

Other objects and distinctive features of the invention notl above referred to will appear from the following description and appended claims and in the accompanying drawing wherein I have shown illustrative embodiments as described in this specification.

FIG. 1 of the drawings is a view with parts in central vertical section showing an embodiment wherein a candle type burner is operatively engaged with a container for a gas supply; and a container for a perfume material in a gelled or concentrated condition is in operative relation to the burner.

FIG. 2 is a similar view of a modification wherein the vaporizable perfume supply is normally sealed against evaporation from the container; and, in operation, perfume vapors developed therein are automatically released from said container by valve means actuated by a spiral type of thermosensitive element.

FIG. 3 shows a device similar to that of FIG. 2 but employing a disc type bimetallic thermosensitive valve actuating element,

FIG. 4 is a view similar to those of FIGS. 1 and 2 of a modification wherein the perfume supply is normally scaled against evaporation and released by hand actuation of the sealing element.

And FIG. 5 is a transverse section on the line 5 5 of FIG. 4.

As shown in the drawings which illustrate several forms of my invention, a portable embodiment thereof includes generally a container for the perfume material, a housing, and a burner. As seen in FIG. 1, the container may be 1n the form of an open top pan A having a central tubular wall 10 and an outer wall I1 radially spaced from Wall 10 and positioned to laterally confine a supply 12 of vaporizable perfume material advantageously in gelled or concentrate condition. A suitable housing includes a lower part 13 enclosing the top and sides of said pan A and an upper part or sleeve 14 arranged above part 13 and Jomed thereto in a manner to provide a space or chamber 15 in free communication with the open top end of the perfume container and with the interior of said sleeve.

A burner including a stem part 16 flared at its open bottom end, or otherwise adapted to be releasably connected to a fuel supply container or tank 17, is open at its top end and provided with ports 18.

Midportions of said stem 16 are arranged coaxially in and radially spaced from sleeve 14 at .its midportion to provide in effect a conduit B; and lower end portions of said stem are arranged in effective heat transfer relation to inner wall 10` of the perfume container.

The wall of the housing is provided with a lower air inlet 19 opening into chamber 15; and sleeve 14 has an upper vent 20 opening into space B between sleeve 14 and stem 16 at a level below that of ports 18 in said stem.

In an assembly intended for use in a dwelling, for example, the parts above described are mounted on or operatively connected to a small or portable can or tank 17 of gas, as butane, for example, which is advantageously equipped with a suitable valve controlling the liow of the fuel gas from said tank into stem 16.

When the gas stream emerging through the open top end and the side ports 18 of stem 16 of the burner is ignited, the flame, as 21, is advantageously both luminous and heat producing, Where the sleeve and stem are assembled as shown, the crimped-in portion or spacer 22 of sleeve 14 which closely and frictionally engages stern 16, serves both to maintain the stem and sleeve in appropriate radially spaced relation and also to dene and close the upper end of space B so that the perfume vapor carried through saidspace with a current of air admitted through inlet port 19 is discharged in dispersable form through vent 2G and below the level of flame 21.

The pan A is advantageously provided with an adequate cover (not shown) to preserve the perfume content while the apparatus is not in use and which is removable to permit, in operation, the ow of vaporized perfume material into chamber and space B.

In the embodiments of my invention shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the perfume material supply is carried in a normally closed, i.e., confining container; and valve means associated therewith are employed in operation to control. the discharge therefrom of the perfume vapor. Thus, referring to FIG. 2, the perfume supply C is carried in a closed tank 23 having a discharge orice or opening 24 in its top Wall which may conveniently be provided with a valve seat in the form of a sealing type ring 25. A valve 26 cooperates with ring 25 in closed position to seal the contents of tank 23 and, in open position, to release perfume vapor from said tank into chamber 15 and thence into and through space B. Automatic operation of valve 26 is conveniently effected by suitable means, as a bimetallic heat sensitive coil 27, having its upper end seated between the top end inner surface of sleeve 14 and opposed outer surface portions of stern 16. A bottom end part 28 of said coil is operatively connected to move valve 26 in one direction, i.e., to open position relative to ring when stem 16 is heated by flame 21 and to the opposite or closed position when said stem returns to cool or normal condition.

When the perfume is in fluid form, the supply C may conveniently be replenished through a bottom opening normally closed by a suitable stopper 29.

In the modification shown in FIG, 3, the perfume supply may be accommodated in one or more tanks 23' each having in its top Wallan orifice 30 opening into chamber 15'. A sealing cover 31 is positioned and adapted normally to close orifice 3@ and to be lifted therefrom in operation automatically by suitable means as a bimetallic element 32 conveniently in disc form secured to a midportion of stem 16 in chamber 15. Thus, when the burner is lighte-d, stem 16' is heated and causes disc 32 to lift cover 31 from sealing position.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the perfume supply is conveniently carried in a tank 33 having an opening 34 in its top wall. A spirally directed groove 35 in an outer side wall of tank 33 is operatively engaged by a lug 36 projecting inwardly from a bottom edge portion of housing 37, the effective length of said groove 35 being convenientiy approximately equivalent to a coaxial quarter turn of housing 37 in relation to tank 33. A sealing member or stopper 38 is secured to a portion of the inner surface of the top wall 39 of housing 37J in position to cover opening 34 andV thus normally reduce evaporation of the perfume when lug 36 is at the lower end of slot or groove 35 and to uncover said opening when lug 36 is at the opposite or upper end of groove 35. With stopper 38 in this open position, the vaporized perfume discharges into the space between tank 33 and top wall 39 of housing 37 and thence through the space between stem 4i! and sleeve 41, and out through vents at the upper end of said sleeve, seen as vents 20, FIG. 1, along with air admitted through ports 42 in top wall 39; As seen in FIG. 5, that portion of stem 4i) which passes through inner wall 43 and said inner wall may conveniently be of suchcross sectional contour, as square, hexagonal, etc., that tank 33 is prevented from -rotating when housing 37 isy rotated to raise or lower said tank so as to bring opening 34 toward or away from stopper 38. It will be understood that the bottom end of stem will, in operation, be connected with a suitably Valvecontrolled' container for the gas fuel supply as in the case of the devices shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. It is also noted that where tank 33 is charged with a liquid perfume or perfume in solution, the discharge of perfume vapor may under some conditions be facilitated by employing a wick 44, or other capillary device, having its outlet end exposed through opening 34.

I claim:

1. A perfume candle comprising in combination a closed container for a supply of perfume material and a gas ame heated vaporizer operatively related thereto and including a burner having an upright tubular gas conducting stem arranged in heat exchanging relation to inner wall portions of said container, said container including outer wall portions laterally spaced from said inner wall portions thereof and arranged and adapted to laterally coni-ine the perfume supply in effective contact with said inner wall portions and valve means permitting escape of perfume vapors from said container when in open position during use of said candle and conning said perfume in said container when in closed position, said tubular stem being open at its top and bottom ends and having laterally directed openings through its upper end portions arranged and adapted to discharge a combustible gas fuel to produce when ignited a candle-like ame at the top end of the stem whereby heat is generated by said flame at the top end of said stern and is conducted downwardly through the stem into vaporizing relation with the perfume supply, and means arranged and adapted to conduct perfume material in vapor form from the container along with a current of air and discharge the sarne into the ambient atmosphere.

2. A perfume candle according to claim 1 and wherein said stem includes means at its bottom end for removable operative gas receiving connection with a source Of combustible gaseous fuel.

3. A perfume candle according to claim 1 and wherein said perfume vapor conducting means includes an upright sleeve operatively arranged in relation to said container and in radially spaced relation to said stem to pro vide a vapor conduit around the stem extending above said container and arranged and adapted for effective vapor passing communication with the interior thereof.

4. A perfume candle according to claim 3 and wherein said sleeve includes a discharge vent opening through an upper end portieri thereof and an inwardly directed stern engaging spacer, and means including a housing are provided for mounting lower portions of the sleeve in operative vapor receiving relation to said container.

5. A perfume candle according to claim 4 and wherein said housing includes an air inlet port operatively arranged between said container and said sleeve whereby air is entrained therein with perfume vapor generated in the container, and said air and vapor are conducted through said space between the stem and the sleeve and discharged therefrom through said discharge vent.

6. A perfume candle according to claim 1 wherein said container valve means are manually operable.

7. A perfume candle according toclaim 1 wherein said container valve means are heat responsive.

8f. A perfume candle according to claim 7 wherein said heat responsive container valve means are in heat exchanging relation with said upright tubular gas conducting stem.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 618,66() 1/1899 Gray 67-46 X 756,493 4/1904 Graham 67-44 X 910,345 1/1909 Akin.

JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PERFUME CANDLE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A CLOSED CONTAINER FOR A SUPPLY OF PERFUME MATERIAL AND A GAS FLAME HEATED VAPORIZER OPERATIVELY RELATED THERETO AND INCLUDING A BURNER HAVING AN UPRIGHT TUBULAR GAS CONDUCTING STEM ARRANGED IN HEAT EXCHANGING RELATION TO INNER WALL PORTIONS OF SAID CONTAINER, SAID CONTAINER INCLUDING OUTER WALL PORTIONS LATERALLY SPACED FROM SAID INNER WALL PORTIONS THEREOF AND ARRANGED AND ADAPTED TO LATERALLY CONFINE THE PERFUME SUPPLY IN EFFECTIVE CONTACT WITH SAID INNER WALL PORTIONS AND VALVE MEANS PERMITTING ESCAPE OF PERFUME VAPORS FROM SAID CONTAINER WHEN IN OPEN POSITION DURING USE OF SAID CANDLE AND CONFINING SAID PERFUME IN SAID CONTAINER WHEN IN CLOSED POSITION, SAID TUBULAR STEM BEING OPEN AT ITS TOP AND BOTTOM ENDS AND HAVING LATERALLY DIRECTED OPENINGS THROUGH ITS UPPER END PORTIONS ARRANGED AND ADAPTED TO DISCHARGE A COMBUSTILE GAS FUEL TO PRODUCE WHEN IGNITED A CANDLE-LIKE FLAME AT THE TOP END OF THE STEM WHEREBY HEAT IS GENERATED BY SAID FLAME 